1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an air cleaner device for use in an internal combustion engine or the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The type of air cleaner which improves the exchange of a filter element (air cleaner element) is disclosed in Journal of Nippon Denso Technical Disclosure No. 70-007.
This conventional air cleaner includes a housing of a resin or the like composed of a case and a cap. An opening is formed through an upper wall of the case, and a filter element is inserted into and removed from the case through this opening.
After the filter element is inserted into the case through the opening, a plate having a plurality of springs is inserted between the filter element and the case. The filter element is urged by the springs of the plate under a predetermined load to be supported within the case.
The plate is slidable vertically (i.e., upward and downward), and the filter element can be easily mounted relative to the case through the plate. Namely, in this conventional cleaner, the filter element can be slid vertically to be inserted into and removed from the case through the opening, without having to remove an air cleaner body from a vehicle. Therefore, the exchange of the filter element can be carried out in a short time without requiring much space.
In the above air cleaner, when the filter element is to be attached and detached, the element-urging springs are resiliently deformed so that the insertion and removal of the filter element can be carried out between the element-urging springs and a gasket. Namely, during the insertion and removal of the filter element, the filter element, while always urged the gasket by the element-urging springs, slides, and therefore the gasket may be caught between an element end plate and the housing, so that a load is applied to the gasket. This results in a possibility that the sealing ability of the gasket may be lowered because of the load exerted on the gasket. This makes it difficult to properly insert and position the filter element in the housing.